The Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) is seeking the establishment of a Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) satellite office in Dumaguete City for faster visa processing of retirees.

NOCCI president Edward Du said at a press conference yesterday that a PRA satellite or regional office in Negros Oriental will provide foreign retirees a faster and more convenient place to acquire a special resident visa.

Currently, foreigners have to travel to Cebu City, where the PRA satellite office for Central Visayas is located, to obtain a special non-immigrant visa that allows them to reside or retire in Dumaguete.

Du noted that prestigious business magazine Forbes, among others, ranked Dumaguete City as one of the seven best retirement places in the world.

He said the newly created Negros Island Region (NIR) which President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed into law on June 13, is also expected to spur economic development and attract more foreign investors and retirees to Negros Oriental.

“The NIR will help ease the cost of and fast-track the processing of licenses and permits as 16 regional offices will be located in Negros Oriental,” Du said.

Meanwhile, Du is hopeful that the proposed development of Tamlang Valley as the food basket of Negros Oriental will finally materialize with the creation of NIR.

The Tamlang Valley was shelved after the National Economic and Development Authority informed Governor Manuel Sagarbarria that the proposal lacked requirements, resulting in its removal from the Central Visayas Region’s list of priority projects.

Tamlang Valley was touted as a “no-man’s land” in the late 80s and early 90s at the height of the insurgency. It connects at least four municipalities, namely Sta. Catalina, Valencia, Pamplona, and Siaton. (PNA)